Ingredients

Method

Dissolve the yeast in 1⁄4 cup (60 mL) water.

Combine the teff flour, yeast and the rest of the water in a large bowl. Mix well. Ensure that no clumps are left at the bottom or side of the bowl.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it ferment for 2 to 3 days at room temperature. (Those with sensitive stomachs may consider making the injera the same day rather than waiting for 2 to 3 days. It will have a slightly “sweet” taste but that is considered normal.)

Drain off the water that has risen to the top of the dough.

Gradually add fresh warm water to the dough, just enough to make a thin smooth batter (like pancake batter); mix well. Cover the batter and let it stand until it rises, approximately 10 to 25 minutes.

Heat a 10-inch (25 cm) skillet or frying pan until a drop of water bounces on the pan’s surface.

Scoop about 1⁄3 cup (85 mL) of the batter and pour it into the pan quickly. Swirl the pan so that the entire bottom is evenly coated. Cover the pan quickly and let the injera cook for 1 to 2 minutes. (Injera does not easily stick or burn.) Remove the cover and wait for a few seconds. It is cooked when bubbles or “eyes” appear all over the top. If your first try is undercooked, cook the next one a little longer or use a smaller amount (1⁄4 cup or 60 mL) of batter. Do not turn the injera over in the pan. Use a spatula to remove the cooked injera and place it on a clean towel.

Let the injera cool and then stack on a serving tray. Do not stack hot as they will stick together.

Continue making the injera until the batter is finished.

Injera should be soft and pliable so that it can be rolled or folded like a crêpe or tortilla. Properly cooked, injera will be thinner than a pancake but thicker than a crêpe.

Shelley Case, RD, is an international celiac nutrition expert, consulting dietitian and author of Gluten-Free Diet:A Comprehensive Resource Guide. See www.glutenfreediet.ca. Shelley Case is on the advisory boards of the Canadian Celiac Association, the Celiac Disease Foundation and the Gluten-Free Intolerance Group. The editors at Allergic Living additionally highly recommend her book Gluten-Free Diet, a vital resource for those interested in celiac disease and living gluten-free.